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Kimberly Mitchell won’t run for mayor

Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell, long considered the front runner to replace Lois Frankel as mayor should she declare, officially announced on Thursday that she won’t run in the March race.

Mitchell, who went back and forth for a year on whether to run, said at Thursday’s monthly Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches that she won’t run. When Commissioners Molly Douglas and Jeri Muoio introduced themselves to the chamber as commissioners running for mayor, Mitchell then said, “I’m a city commissioner, and I’m not running for mayor.”

“I have had for years people asking and expecting me to run for mayor, and I am incredibly and truly flattered,” Mitchell said this afternoon. “This is a city I love, and to be able to continue a career (in investment banking) that I also care about and have spent a lot of time in, this was the best thing for me. It has, and will cause disappointment to some of my friends and supporters, but ultimately have to do what’s in the best interest of me and my family.
“I am incredibly blessed to be able to do the combination of things I do, both worlds that I work in make the other better. I am a better city commissioner because I am an investment banker, and I’m a smarter investment banker because of the work I do with the city.”

Mitchell’s mother, Republican lobbyist Anita Mitchell, said she had hoped Kimberly would run but understood her daughter’s decision.

“I think she would have been a wonderful mayor, but she’s established herself as a leader, and she doesn’t need to be mayor,” Anita Mitchell said.

With about a month left for candidates declare, it’s currently a three-way race between Muoio, Douglas and housing development professional Paula Ryan, a former city consultant.

Kimberly Mitchell said she doesn’t expect to endorse a candidate and will work with whoever wins.

Bill Fountain, the long-time director of the Downtown Development Authority who was ousted by Frankel (in favor of Nancy Graham) in 2003 after serving at the DDA for 15 years, was in West Palm on Thursday visiting businesses with Ryan and supporting her mayoral bid.

Fountain and Anita Mitchell were active in the last two elections, supporting Frankel’s opponents Joel Daves and Al Zucaro. That added speculation that Anita Mitchell would support Ryan, although Anita Mitchell stopped short of an actual endorsement while praising Ryan.

“Paula’s got a good business background,” said Anita Mitchell, who added that Fountain and others are good friends with Ryan’s husband, attorney Cliff Hertz. “Friendship play a part in this as well.”

Fountain, who now lives in Islamorada, said he’s known Ryan, “for 15 years personally and professionally, partly working on projects to bring affordable housing to the city. She’s be the perfect person at the right time to be mayor.”

Muoio is believed to be the favorite candidate of Frankel, while Douglas — a Realtor and former Frankel ally — is running as an anti-Frankel pro-business candidate.